A recent study by the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC) highlighted a troubling trend of sexual harassment in the restaurant industry: 60 percent of female and transgender workers and 46 percent of male workers report harassment as an uncomfortable aspect of work life. These findings...

Once a bankrupt city left for dead, Detroit is showing signs of becoming a hot destination for quick-service and fast-casual concepts. Where city blocks were once ghost towns, real estate developers today are building thriving centers for businesses and entertainment venues—and restaurant operators...

As CEO and president of Marlu Investment Group, Tony Lutfi has his hands more than full with a large quick-serve empire; his company operates 21 Jack in the Box, 47 Church’s Chicken, 53 Arby’s, five Little Caesars Pizza, and five Sizzler units. Most recently, Lutfi’s company acquired all five...

Like many in the restaurant business, childhood friends Ike Grigoropoulos, Dimitri Moshovitis, and Ted Xenohristos sought a new service platform to bring their traditional Greek and Mediterranean cooking to more Washington, D.C., residents. The trio adapted their full-service concept, Cava Mezze...

When it comes to global expansion, international operators are quick to point to the U.S. as the gateway to success. Foodservice here is booming, with expected restaurant industry sales in 2014 surpassing $680 billion, according to the National Restaurant Association—and the limited-service sector...

Technomic is forecasting a nominal 3 percent growth rate for limited-service restaurants in 2015, so it doesn’t seem as if there will be any big changes in fast food in the coming year. Any positive effect produced by lower gas prices is likely to be canceled out by drought-induced higher food...

Coffee isn’t just a convenient caffeine jolt for Americans anymore. A recent Harris Interactive survey found that consumers are willing to travel for a good cup of Joe; 60 percent of respondents said the primary coffee shop they visit is not necessarily the closest one. Sixty-six percent of...

Every time a new year gets under way, there’s a combination of promise and anxiety, a very real hope that better days are ahead mixed with uneasiness about what issues or problems may be lying in wait.
That’s why predictions seem to be as much a part of a New Year’s celebration as champagne and the...

GS1 US has published a GS1 US National Data Quality Program framework, which outlines the key components to help companies establish and sustain effective data quality programs based on GS1 Standards. The framework offers detailed information about the assessment criteria and scoring for the...

This March, Jersey Mike’s Subs is joining forces with more than 120 local charities for the company’s fifth annual March Month of Giving fundraising campaign. Last year’s Month of Giving raised $2.1 million for more than 100 different charities nationwide and this year Jersey Mike’s hopes to...

Project Pie, a West Coast fast-casual pizza concept, has now opened its first European outlet in Dundee, Scotland and plans to add an additional 60 locations across the United Kingdom and Ireland in the next ten years.

PizzaRev marked its entrance into South Dakota with a Pizzas for a Purpose fundraising event at 3901 W. 49th St. in Sioux Falls. Guests are invited to pay-what-they-want for a custom-built, personal-sized pizza with a suggested $8 contribution to benefit Children’s Miracle Network and Sanford...

Great Wraps announced that its new prototype, Great Wraps Grill, will soon have airport locations. Great Wraps Grill features a new modern design, an expanded chef-created menu, and refined operations that provide hot-off-the-grill freshness and greater customer choice.

Convenience stores are increasingly taking a larger slice out of the quick-serve pie with fresh food offerings. It’s become such a lucrative business for C-stores that Sheetz, the Pennsylvania-based C-store chain that this week opened its 500th location, is planning stores designed more as fast...

Kevin Kester’s family has been farming in the U.S. for generations. And it’s not just a couple of generations they’ve been farming; more like generations upon generations, way back to the 1600s, specifically in California since the 1860s. Today, Kester owns a 22,000-acre beef cattle ranch in...

When fast-casual chain Zoës Kitchen Inc. debuted on the New York Stock Exchange last April, the Plano, Texas–based Mediterranean-style eatery recorded its initial public offering at $87.5 million. Satisfying an investor appetite for investments within the trendy fast-casual space, Zoës’ strong...

When Lori Newcomb found out she had stage III ovarian cancer last year, she made it her mission to learn more about the disease and help other women fighting the same battle. She sat down with her husband, Chris Newcomb, cofounder and CEO of Southern quick-service chain Newk’s Eatery, and together...

While the fast-casual category continues to be the fastest-growing industry sector, the road in 2015 will be bumpy. We will see constant change and challenges around every corner. For industry leaders, there are issues that will keep even the most seasoned executive awake at night.
Here is my top...

Though U.S. consumption is well below other proteins today, seafood will likely be an increasingly important part of the American diet in the years to come. The country’s population is predicted to grow by 89 million between 2010 and 2050 to 401 million people. More people require more food—and...